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A Basic Guide to Arctic Cruise Vacation

Explore the best Arctic cruise vacation guide and get inspired to cruise with your dearest ones.

By Cruise Booking Team

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The Arctic is immense and spectacular, stretching from Russia's Far East to the geographic North Pole. With its vast beautiful landscapes, glorious wildlife, and vibrant indigenous tribes for company, Arctic cruise offers you unforgettable rich natural experiences that you will cherish for life. So, whether you are a nature lover, adventure enthusiasts, history buff or the explorer of unique cultures, Arctic cruise will be a dream holiday plan for you.

Best Things to Do in the Arctic On a Cruise

Your Arctic cruise expedition will keep you really busy. Keep your energy and spirits high to cherish the unmatched opportunity to be on an Arctic cruise. Here are some of the must-do activities:

Meet the Polar Bears: When you are planning for an Arctic cruise you can expect a rendezvous with cute polar bears, called the "King of the Arctic". They are seen roaming in the icy waste to the delight of the visitors. The best chances of sighting polar bears are in Svalbard, Canada's Northwest Passage, and Wrangel Island, Russian Arctic.

Enjoy the Northern lights: The northern lights are one of the world’s most phenomenal natural spectacles. If you wish to get a glimpse of this breathtaking light show on the Earth, you'll need to plan your Arctic cruise in winter months.

Explore Wildlife: The Arctic is blessed with rich wildlife diversity. It is home to a wide variety of animals, including white bear, musk oxen, and graceful bowhead whale. You can also meet walruses in Prins Karls Forland’s Forland National Park. No matter which Arctic cruise itinerary you choose, you will get a chance of spotting rare wildlife and picturesque landscapes.

Experience Sea Kayaking: Most Arctic cruise lines offer kayaking as an additional adventure. So, if you are an adventure buff, do not miss the chance to explore the crystal clear waters of the Arctic and watch what lies beneath the great glacial shadows of large icebergs.

Acknowledge History: Arctic cruise also gives you the rare opportunity to get to know the Inuit tribes that live in the settlements in Russia, Greenland, and Canada.

Best Places to Visit in the Arctic On a Cruise

Here are some of the best places you can plan to visit when you go on an Arctic cruise:

Norway - If watching Aurora Borealis also referred to as northern lights, is in your wish-list, make sure your cruise has Norway marked in the itinerary. Glaciers, icebergs, and fjords make a beautiful landscape to offer you grand vistas and beautiful photographs.

Greenland - With 80 percent of the land covered with ice, Greenland lies in the bucket-list of every adventurist. Do visit this breathtakingly spectacular island, which is also the largest non-continental island in the world.

Iceland - Iceland is heavily endowed with natural beauty. If you visit in winter, you can get a chance to glimpse the northern lights. However, if you happen to be there in summer months you can see the midnight sun. Go sightseeing late in the night to watch the phenomenon and see the awesome landscapes in a new perspective. Glacier, geothermal baths, volcanoes, mountains, and unique flora and fauna are other attractions that will compel you to visit Iceland again and again.

Baffin Island - Lying between Canada's mainland and Greenland, Baffin Islands is gifted with glacier laden mountains and numerous fjords. It is inhabited by the Inuit. When you are in the Baffin Islands, you can watch the incredible wildlife, go skiing, get a glimpse of the northern lights or explore the Inuit culture. There is a lot to do in the Arctic playground.

Best Time to Visit the Arctic On a Cruise

As the ocean remains covered in ice pack for the most part of the year, summer is the peak season for exploring the diverse scenery that Arctic cruises promise. During summers this Land of the Midnight Sun receives 24-hours daylight. So, May to September is the ideal season to plan for Arctic Cruises if you want to avoid the chilly winter months. During this time of the year, you can spot Arctic birds and sight polar bears and walruses.

However, seasoned travelers are now keen on planning Arctic cruises during winter months. They are braving freezing temperatures and long-continuous hours of darkness to get the breathtaking view of the Aurora Borealis - the northern lights. So, depending on your travel goals you plan the best time to go on an Arctic cruise.

Conclusion

The Arctic cruise is a phenomenal experience that seasoned travelers always yearn for. It's nature at its pristine best. There is a wide variety of cruise lines usually of 12-15 days duration offering luxurious ships and camps to suit the taste and budget of all types of travelers. So, gather all your friends and family for a joyful and memorable Arctic cruise holiday!

Header Image by htearse at Pixabay

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